13, 24, and more: The biggest headlines heading into Roland Garros

Roland Garros action begins tomorrow with the most loaded draw since January. Here are the three biggest headlines and potential records to look out for at play begins.

The year’s third major is finally set to begin after the swirls of news regarding everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to the split decision about the tournament’s new balls. Despite everything, the event is still going forward and will host the most loaded draws since January’s Australian Open.

It’s going to be a very significant next two weeks. From potential historic outcomes to the true dawn of a new generation, there’s plenty of headlines to pass around. Here are the three biggest stories to follow as the tournament progresses.

1. Serena Williams and her chase for the elusive 24th Grand Slam

From the moment she captured her 23rd major title at the 207 Australian Open, questions and debates came flying from every direction about Serena Williams tying Margaret Court for the most all-time Grand Slams won. To this day, however, she’s 0-4 in major finals and hasn’t been able to capture that 24th victory that’s been seemingly right there for the taking.

Heading into her weakest surface statistically (83%), she’s “only” been able to muster 3 titles in Paris out of her 23, a stark comparison to her 7 titles in Australia and Wimbledon and 6 in New York. She hasn’t exactly put up a strong campaign on clay’s premier event outside of her three titles. She has just one other finals appearance (2016)and has suffered 1st and 2nd round defeats in 2012 and 2014 (the only time in her career she’s been bounced in her opening Grand Slam match).

The chase for 24 will likely continue barring a small miracle for the 39-year-old legend. As explained in a previous piece, Serena’s draw is incredibly tough and filled to the brim with the game’s hottest players and former major champions. Let’s be clear, however. She doesn’t need a 24th major. Her status as the greatest women’s tennis player of all time has already been secured, leaving just the haters and stat-chasers in her ears as she powers through the last few years of her incredible career.

2. Number 13 versus the Double Career Slam

Flipping over to the men’s side of things, there’s a slew of records in play, mostly in the case of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Nadal, the unquestioned King of Clay, is chasing his 4th consecutive title in Paris and 13th overall, which would be a record-extending feat for the Spaniard. He enters the tournament without a previous clay-court title for the first time since 2015. If it’s a sign of anything historically, it doesn’t look good for him (he hasn’t won a Roland Garros title without capturing a tuneup event).

The only man who looks in form enough to take him down is World #1, Novak Djokovic. Currently in the midst of one of his greatest season to date, Djokovic is looking to finally win his second Roland Garros title and first with Nadal in the picture. In terms of the never-ending debate surrounding the two players, a win over him would mean a great deal to his career as a whole.

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For starters, it would give Nadal just his third loss ever in Paris if they do end up meeting in the final (which is absolutely insane if you truly stop and think about it). Not only that, it’d be the second time Djokovic would’ve accomplished the feat. That’s certainly a huge boost for his stock against Nadal in their career head-to-head.

In addition to that, Djokovic would achieve the Double Career Slam with a title and would, as a result, become just the third man in the history of the sport to achieve the feat (alongside Rod Laver and Roy Emerson). A title for Djokovic would be simply titanic.

3. The Potential for a True Shift in Power

Everyone of course knows what happened in New York last month as the NextGen finally broke through and won a Grand Slam. It was, as expected, Dominic Thiem, who took the win on his fourth trip to a Grand Slam. The 27-year-old is surely brimming with confidence after the win and is coming into an event in which he’s emerged as the second-best player behind Nadal.

He does have an incredibly tough draw, with former champions like Stan Wawrinka potentially waiting in the fourth round and a clash with Nadal likely set barring any miraculous upsets. Still, Thiem has achieved the best Grand Slam results out of anyone so far in 2020; he reached the Australian Open final alongside his US Open victory.

Confidence-wise, US Open finalist Alexander Zverev might not be on quite the same level as his NextGen counterpart but is still a huge threat as he works through the draw in hopes of a second-straight finals appearance. Other young stars such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, and Daniil Medvedev are all eagerly waiting for their respective times to pounce in hopes of repeating the success that Thiem and Zverev had last month.

The 2020 edition of Roland Garros begins tomorrow at 5 AM EST as some of the game’s very best hit the court looking to strike.

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Notable Day 1 matches:

5:00 AM EST: (10) Victoria Azarenka vs Danka Kovinic

5:00 AM: (11) David Goffin vs Jannik Sinner

6:15 AM: (32) Dan Evans vs Kei Nishikori

7:00 AM: (1) Simona Halep vs Sara Sorribes Tormo

8:15 AM: (9) Johanna Konta vs Coco Gauff

9:15 AM: (6) Alexander Zverev vs Dennis Novak

9:15 AM: (16) Stan Wawrinka vs Andy Murray

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